Car wheel assembly



Nov. 2, 1948. K, AQHULDT 2,452,659

CAR WHEEL ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 20, 1943 Patented Nov. 2, 1948 CAR ASSEIVIBLY Krstoiler Andreas Huldt, Stockholm, Sweden Application August 20, 1943, Serial No. 499,418 In Sweden June 26, 1942 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires June 26, 1962 The present invention relates to a car wheel assembly, particularly for railway cars. The primary object of the invention is to improve the hitherto used construction of a solid one-piece axle which atthe ends is formed to journals and on which the wheels are secured by pressing their hubs onto the axle. This method of connection results in maximum stresses acting in a radialy quently, the point of fracture being in most cases located in the above-named section through the inner sideof the wheel hub.

- An object of the invention is to provide a relatively light weight car wheel assembly that eliminates or reduces the objectionable features of the prior constructions. An object is to provide a car wheel assembly that does not set up a stress concentration in the plane of the inner face of the car wheel hub. These and .other objects and advantages of the invention are attained by a novel construction of the axle and hub assembly, a suitable embodiment of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows va car wheel assembly partly in section, and

Fig. 2 shows, to an enlarged scale, the welded joint between the axle and the hub.

In the drawing, numeral I denotes the wheel tire and numeral 3 the hub. The tire is secured to the hub by means of a disc 5 integral with the hub. While I have shown a disc 5 for connecting the tire with the hub, it will be obvious that this connection may be effected in any suitable manner, such as by means of spokes. The members described above are of known and standardizfd construction and dimensions.

The axle which connects the two wheels consists of a cylindrical tube 1 of uniform thickness.

The inner diameter of the tube is equal to or slightly larger than the inner diameter of the hub. At each end of the tube 'l there is secured a sleeve 9 which tightly ts the outer periphery of the tube 1 and is secured thereto by means of welds II and I2 forming an axle member having end s claims;l ((1295-36) portions of increased wall thickness.

Each end of the axle member is butt welded to the inner end face I3 of the hub by means vof two welds I 5 and Il; made from within and from without, respectively. The total wall thickness of the axle member com.. prising the tube l and the sleeve 9 at the joint is substantially equal to the thickness of the hub at this place so as to obtain a continuous joint loe-- tween the hub and the axle member, the thickness decreasing continuously towards the middle of the axle. Due to this construction, the formation of cracks is avoided. The ends of the tube 'l and the sleeve 9 are bevelled as at I9, 2|, 23 and 25, in order to facilitate the welding operation. v

The journals 21 of the axle extend at their inner greater portions into the hubs 3 near the inner end face I3 of the same. Each journal is provided with a collar 29 which by means of a weld 3Q is connected with the outer vertical side face 3l of the appertaining hub, Due to this arrangement, each journal is secured against axial displacement and need not be press tted into the hub, as is the case in hitherto used constructions comprising one-piece axles. The inner end of each journal 2l flts exactly the inner diameter of the hub or may be merely slightly greater so that small radial forces only will occur due to the journals being pressed into the hubs. On ac? count of the connection described, the journals are obviously entirely independent of the axle and do not produce additional stresses on the connection between the axle and the hubs.

In order to reduce the weight of the journals they may be provided with central bores 33 closed by plugs 35. If desired, the length of each journal may be somewhat greater than that shown in the drawing so that each journal extends somewhat into the tube l.

In the manufacture of the car wheel assembly described above, the sleeve 9 is welded to the axle tube 1 by filling the angular space between the bevelled faces 2l and 23 with the welding material II in a manner such that the end of the tube is approximately given the shape of two intersecting conical faces. The weld I2 is made either before or after the application of the weld I I. The tube 'l is then placed into the correct position relative to the hub, and both the wheel and the axle are rotatably mounted so that they can be turned without changing their mutual position. Then, the weld I5 is applied between the bevelled face I 9 and the side fa-ce I3 of the hub by introducing the welding electrode through the hub. The wheel and the axle are rotated as the welding ing the welll-ifi. Thereupon, the journal 21 is introduced int the hub, and the collar 28 is welded to the outer side face of the hub.

cured to the axle.

The invention may be applied :not only incon-.LV nection with the manufacture 'of car wheel assemblies but also in repairing or exchanging -e'xef' isting assemblies of the type indicated inthe beginning of this specification. In the'lattnericaSe;. the solid one-piece axle is cut off at the sections located at the inner side face of the hub :and fis -1' replaced by a tube which is secured to the inner faces idf the hubsiin rtheimanner Idescribed above. Iniithissease, the existent iojurnals may be maintairr'e'dfwithout alteration.

Sit will Ibe understood that :the invention ,may

be 'applied 'mit :only :in connection with `railway c'arsfand tram :cars but also to other kinds of land-vehicles, foriinstance to vehicles provided with pneumatic itire wheels.

What "I fclaim iis:

*11; lin afcar wheel rassembly, .a hollow axle of uniform Wall `l'iliielmess,'-a'vvvheelhub welded to said axle, and sleeves welded .to wheel hubs vand surrounding said axleatithe ends thereof and welded theretd'fth'emuter tdiameter of said sleeves increasing towards the ends of said axle.

vf2.-lnfa carlwheelassembly, a hollow axle of uniinrm iWall thickness, a 4conical sleeve iitted upon an end'oflthe'axlefand'weldei thereto, the outer diameter fbi the-sleeve increasing towards the enti )of t'heaxle, 'a l@Wheel 'hub having an inner diameter substantially equal to the inner diameterf-said axle, and =wld metal forming a butt connectionof the "inner `slide 4surlace of the Wheel hbitofthe adfjacentfenii surfaces of the axle and sleeve, the maximum 'diameter `end of `the sleeve beingjapproximatelyequal to the diameter of the hbat its 'inner surface and the weld metal formin'ga smoothly taperir'ig connection of the hub to'the "sleeve, y

'3. "Ima-car twheel assembly, the invention as recited inclaim 2, wherein the outer "ends of the sleeve land of the axle are each beveled from their inner and'outersurfaces, lthe adjacent Vbev- .elel 'portions o'f the sleeve vand axle 'forming an annular *recess to facilitate the welding of the sleevetothe axle.

5&4. 'Tn 'a car wheel assembly, the invention as 2101; In a similar manner, the second Wheelris .se-

4 recited in claim 2, in combination with a journal having an inner end extending into and snugly iitting said hub, and means preventing axial displacement of said journal with respect to said hub, said means consisting substantially exclusively of weld metal uniting said journal to the outer side surface of said lhub, whereby the lconnection between the journal and the hub introduces no radial stresses at the butt-welded union of the hub and axle. l Y5. A .car .wheel and axle assembly comprising a tubular axle member, a tubular wheel hub, said axlennem'ber and ihub having substantially the same interna-lv diameter, said hub having the inner end face thereof coaxial with and disposed in .,.endlto end abutting relation with an end of said axle member said abutting ends being Welded to each other and a journal member extending into the outer-end of said wheel hub and including a part abutting the outer rend surface of said hub and 'welded thereto.

-'.6. fcar wheel fandaxle assemblyicomprising a tubular ,axle member, .a tubular wheelhlib, said axleV member .and hub having. substantially 4the same interna-l diameter, saidfhub 'havin g' the nner end '.fa'ce `thereof vcoaxial :with and disposed in end ,to endea'butting `relation with 1an Lend :of said axle 4member -said vabutting endsv :being Welded-'to each other and :a journal member extending linto said hub from 'the :outer end ithereof :and being dimensioned substantially exactly to t the bore of said :hub whereby .to avoid the Vcreation of internal .stresses 1in said members, :said journal member having acollar abutting'the endsurface ci ssaid `hub and :welded thereto.

:KRISTOFTER ANDREAS HULDT,

REFERENCES CITED 'The followingjreferences are of record in the YWelding Encyclopedia, 1938, p. 514, :published by The WeldingiEngPub. Co.,IChicago, Illinois. 

